Spain and Portugal ask for EU drought help

Last Tuesday, Spain and Portugal asked the European Union to study the option of providing help for farmers to diminish the impact of the drought affecting both countries.

The subject will be dealt with in the Agriculture Ministries Council of the EU by Spanish and Portuguese requirements. These countries have already asked the Ministries of the Environment, on March 9th, for an answer from the Community regarding the drought.

In a joint document sent to the Council, both countries call for the declaration of a "generalized drought" in their territories since last October. In Spain's case, there was a 43% reduction regarding the average water level over that period.

"It's possible that this continues", points out the text. Due to this, the two countries ask their European counterparts to "start the debate about measures to be taken", among which are the use of direct payments and authorization of compensatory measures for the associated high cost.

The document raises the fact that in Spain the drought is affecting almond productions, while in Portugal farmers have already had to irrigate in order to maintain a normal cultivation situation.